Southern picked behind Grambling for SWAC West

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Alcorn State, the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champion, is the preseason favorite to win the league's Eastern Division while Grambling has been picked to win the West.

Southern University was picked to finish second behind Grambling in the West.

Alcorn State quarterback John Gibbs Jr. is the preseason offensive player of the year. Gibbs threw for 2,482 yards and 21 touchdowns last season while also running for 1,006 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Alabama State's Kourtney Berry is the preseason defensive player of the year and had a league-high 128 tackles in 2014.

Southern also landed seven players on the All-SWAC preseason lists. Lenard Tillery (RB), Willie Quinn (WR), Anthony Mosley (OL) and Danny Johnson (CB) made the first team while Terrell Lee (OL), Gabe Echols (DL) and Dionte McDuffy (DB) made the second team.

The league's 10 coaches and sports information directors voted in the preseason poll.